Directional intake control for internal combustion engines



Nov. 22, 1938.

,J J. MCCARTHY 2,137,344 DIRECTIONAL INTAKE CONTROL FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES Filed April 8, 1936 I5 Sheets-Sheet 1 65 Nov. 22, 1938. J. J, MCCARTHY 2,137,344

DIRECTIONAL INTAKE CONTROL FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES s Sheets-Sheet? Filed April 8, 1936 ,Thve 72521:" f

afiowwgy Nov. 22, I938. J MCCARTHY 2,137,344

DIRECTIONAL INTAKE CONTROL FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES Filed April 8, 1936 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Nov. 22, 1 938 I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DIRECTIONAL INTAKE CONTROL, FOR IN- TERNAL' COMBUSTION ENGINES 3Claims.

My present invention is directed to internal combustion engines, preferably of the type shown and described in my prior and copending application Ser. No. 615,376, filed June 4, 1932, now Pat- 5 ent No. 2,067,496, dated January 12, 1937.

covered that by injecting air into the combustion chambers of an engine cylinder with a tangential line of current flow that a highly efllcient result is produced.

This is particularly efiicacious in a Diesel engine of the two cycle type wherein a rapid scav-' enging or cleaning eflect is necessary to remove the exhaust gases and other productsof the previous combustion or power stroke, as well as to supply the proper quantity of air or fuel for the succeeding combustion and power stroke. Also, I have discovered that this tangential air directional feature is ,of peculiar advantage in the Diesel type of engine whether two-cycle or fourcycle, by increasing the turbulence of the air in the combustion chamber to a higher degree, thereby increasing the power, speed, and emciency of the engine.

My present invention is directed to the feature of controlling the direction, volume, and effect of the tangential air supply into the,combustion chambers of internal combustion engines partic- 40 ularly of the Diesel typeand, preferably, of the two-cycle type. p

In carrying out my present invention I provide novel means which will determine the direction and quantity of the air supply injected into the i combustion chamber of each cylinder, preferably by means of a valve or series of valves in each air intake opening. Preferably, also, I arrange automatic controlling means so that the directional air flow can" be regulated proportionately to the speed and load of results. ,1 a

My present invention can be utilized either with a duplex type of engine having double opposed pistons operatingina cylinder with the expansive charge working between the pistons, or

the engine for most emcient it may be equally advantageously utilized in a single piston cylinder, multiple cylinder, =sleeve valve construction, or any internal combustion engine. Furthermore, my directional air controlling mechanism and method may be employed to direct the fuel in a spark-exploded internal combustion engine, as well as in one of the Diesel type. This is particularly valuable in installations where a supercharging arrangement is provided in combination with the internal combustion cylinders. W

In carrying out my inventionl, provide movable vanes or baflies somewhat similar to a butterfly type of valve arranged in the intake port or ports in the engine cylinder and provide means, preferably automatic, although manually oper-- ated, if desired, which will move each vane in its port to increase; decrease, and control the direction of the air, gas, or fuel flowing into the combustion chamber of the cylinder. Also, I provide 20 means for adjusting the vanes to attain any desired volume in the intake as well as current directional fiow to thereby control the turbulence within the combustion chamber. Furthermore, I provide means to vary these eflects duringthe continuous operation of the engine directly proportional to the speed or the load, or both, so as to attain the most efllcient result.

As above noted, I may utilize my present invention in a wide variety and types of internal combustion engines whether of the Diesel type, semi- Diesel, or spark-explosive gasoline type, and either with or without a superchargenand either in a double-opposed cylinder type of engine of my prior patent, or in the conventional type of a single piston and cylinder engine and, of course, in a unit with any plurality of cylinders and arrangernent, vizf, in-line, V-ty'pe, radially positioned, or other combinations of cylinders, aswell as in the sleeve valve type utilized in the attached 40 drawings for illustrative purposes.

Referring to the drawings illustrating one form of my invention and as applied to a single cylinder engine, for illustrative purposes only, and of an improved type illustrated in my said prior 45 patent, wherein a piston reciprocates in a sleeve which also controls the intake and exhaust ports for the combustion chamber, I have illustrated a preferred type of my present invention with automatic controlling means wherein, 50

Fig. 1' is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of such an engine and cylinder embodying a pre- .ierred form of the invention;

Fig. 2 is' an enlarged cross-sectional view on the line 22 of Fig. 1, and

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic view showing an automatic controlling means to operate the current directional flow during the continuous operation of the engine proportional to speed and load desired.

Referring to the drawings utilizing my novel type of engine, indicates a suitable cylinder casting having a removable head 2 bolted thereon, and in the interior of the cylinder is a sliding sleeve 3 having secured at the upper end a head 5; and arranged to reciprocate in the interior of the sleeve 3 is a piston It to which the usual crank shaft I2 is attached to a crank H on the driving shaft.

Supporting the casting I is a base I5 bolted to a bottom supporting and enclosing casting Hi. In the cylinder casting I I may arrange the usual cored channels l8, I8, |8 for water circulation and for cooling, and a series of tangentially positioned intake ports 20 and outlet or exhaust ports 2|. These ports are proportionately spaced for the stroke of the piston l0. and are arranged peripherally around the casting the intake ports 20 opening from a manifold 24 and the exhaust ports 2| opening into a manifold 25, each manifold being arranged around the casting to communicate with all its respective ports.

In the sleeve 3 are corresponding ports 22 adapted to register with the intake ports 2|! when the sleeve is at one position and with openings 23 to register with the exhaust ports 2|. The sleeve 3 is operated by a connecting rod 21 secured to a crank shaft of the engine and operated in synchronism with the piston III, also connected on the same crank shaft, this being explained in my said copending application, but any other method of operations may be utilized.

In the engine here illustrated I have shown the Diesel type which is provided with fuel injectors 3| threaded thru tapped recesses 3| in the walls of the casting and positioned to inlect the fuel at the proper time of compression operating thru the ports 26, which will be in line to register with the injectors 36 at the moment of or just in advance of the greatest compression between the top of the piston Ill and the bottom of the head 5, as viewed in Fig. 1.

The ports 20 are formed thru the casting l in a slanting or inclined manner tangentially with the circular walls of the casting and sleeve 3 and, hence, tangentially relatively with the cylinder and the compression chamber contained therein. Y As shown in Fig. 2 I form the vertical sides of each port 26, as indicated at 33 and 32, directing the flow thru said port 26 and thru the corresponding openings 22 in the sleeve 3 when the same are in register in a pronounced tangential direction,this being futher explained and claimed broadly in my said Patent No. 2,067,496.

In my present devices for controlling the frictional,fl ow thru the ports 20 and hence for increasing or decreasing the tangential effect and simultaneously controlling the volume admitted thru the intake ports, as well also as increasing and decreasing and, therefore, controlling the speed and velocity thru the intake ports will now be described.

While any suitable controlling means may be employed that herein illustrated consists of a simple set of vanes 46 extending partly into each port 20, and of corresponding contour so as to afford a relatively close fit for said ports 20, particularly where such ports are formed with a nozzle effect, as shown in Fig. 1 to increase the injection delivery thru thesame, the vanes 46 being of corresponding contour and each mounted on a shaft 4| extending thru bearings in the manifold 24 at appropriate positions in front of each port 20.

Each vane 40 may be adjustably secured to its supporting and operating shaft 4| or may be keyed thereto, an adjustment being desirable for determining efficiency of the variable directional current flow during tuning up of the engine but thereafter being fixed permanently on the shaft 4|. Each shaft 4| extends thru the manifold 24 and may be shaped into a crank-like portion 42 to which a link 44 is secured by a bolt 45 or in any other'suitable manner.

These links 45 may conveniently extend from one shaft 4| to another and be operated in unison, either manually or automaticallypreferably by the latter form-and so that all the vanes 40 will be moved in unison when increasing, decreasing,

or otherwise controlling the supply thru the ports 26.

For this purpose I secure at a convenient position and at a suitable point adjacent the engine cylinder a governor operable on the centrifugal principle, or otherwise, in association with the speed of the engine or the load imposed on it, and provide suitable connections from such governor to the links 44, moving the shafts 4|, and hence operating the vanes 46 in each port. A convenient method of carrying out this arrangement is to provide a pair of brackets 5| and 52 suitably attached to the cylinder head by bolts 5353, said brackets having hearings in their outer ends for a shaft 50, which shaft is rotated by a sprocket chain 55 led around a sprocket wheel 56 on the drive shaft, and a corresponding sprocket wheel 5! keyed to the shaft 50, the sprocket walls being in suitable proportion either increasing or decreasing the driving speed on the governor, as maybe desired.

Slidably mounted on the shaft 50 is a sliding collar 60 with a link 6| pivoted thereto and a cooperating link 62 pivoted at 63 to the link 6| and with its opposite end pivotally secured at 64 to a hub 65 secured at 66 to the shaft 50. An appropriate weight is attached to the extreme end of the link 6| and an expansible coiled spring 1| bearing between the hub 65 and the sliding collar 66 will operate as a usual type of centrifugal governor, the speed of rotation of the shaft 50 acting on the weight 10, which in turn operates the linkage connection 6| and 62 to raise the sliding collar 60 and compress the spring proportionately to the speed and centrifugal force of the weight 10. Any suitable operating connection between the governor and the vanes 40 may be utilized, that herein shown consisting in a link pivotally secured at 16 to a part of the sliding collar 60, and with its opposite end rigidly attached at 14 to one of the crank portions 42 of the vane operating shafts, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 3.

A plurality of cylinders may be similarly controlled by attaching a connecting rod 11 from the link 15 to a corresponding lever 18 at an adjacent engine cylinder, as indicated in Fig. 3. After the vanes 40 may have been adjusted on their respective supporting and operating shafts 4|, and the engine is started, the tangentialflow thru the intake ports is thus automatically con- .trolled, together with volume, speed, and turbulence within the compression chamber of the cylinder by the automatic variation of the vanes 40 as oscillated between the walls 3| and 32 of each port 20 thru the actuationof the -governor mechanism as described.

It will thus be seen that I have devised a novel,

improved and 'eflici'ent intake port controlling mechanism particularly for directional control in a tangential action, as well as capacity, volume,

and speed of intake, into the combustion cylinder of an internal combustion engine whether such engine is of the Diesel, semi-Diesel, or gasoline 1o explosive type.

Thus by controlling the tangential eifect thru the intakes and, hence, increasing the efliciency of the scavenging action, particularly in such engines of the two-cycle type, and greatly increasing the turbulence and hence mixture within the, combustion chamber-in either two-cycle or fourcycie operations, .I have greatly improved the- .combustion, efliciency, the economy, and the operation of such types of engines: and claim the same herein broadly. v

I claim: Y y 1. In an internahbombustionengine oi the compressionignition .type, having tangentially arranged intake ports each provided with a mov- Iwish to able vane formed to direct airinto the combustion chamber with a tangential flow, in combination;

with means to increase the turbulence of mixture within the engine cylinder by controlling the de-" livery angle of the intake ports by the movement of said vanes.

2, In an internal combustion engine of the compression ignition type, having tangentially arranged intake ports formed with a plurality of air into the combustion chamber with'a tangential flow, in combination with means to auto- ,matically increase the turbulence of mixture within the engine cylinder by controlling the operative position of the intake ports in capacity and direction of flow. therethrough during the-- continuous operation of the engine.

' JOHN J. McCARTHY.

adjustable direction controlling vanes to direct 

